Health, Fitness and Faith: Guest Post by Taylor Burch
TODAY AS WE CONTINUE OUR SERIES OF GUEST POSTS FROM CHRISTIAN FEMALE ENTREPRENEURS BASED ALL OVER THE WORLD, I'M DELIGHTED TO INTRODUCE YOU TO, TAYLOR BURCH FROM THE USA...
My name is Taylor Burch and I am a 24 year old Christian, wife, nurse, and online health and fitness coach! My PASSION is helping young women overcome the struggles of getting fit in today’s society, as well as working on becoming stronger in the Lord, one glorious challenge group at a time! I love connecting with women from all over the world, so feel free to add me on my social media and swing by and say Hey!:) Greater is the one living inside of me than he who is living in the world!
Ten months ago I started my health and fitness journey in hopes of losing the weight I've gained in the last 2 years. I was working my first nursing job and swamped with stress. I was drowning in my depression and anxiety, my clothes no longer fit, and quite truly, I was a mess. I knew I needed a big change in my life, so I turned to health and fitness. Little did I know that I would lose the weight, but more importantly, gain something better.
About a month in to my journey, I realized I was only giving about 50% effort. I needed more support, something more to PUSH me, so I decided to gain ultimate accountability and become an online coach. However, this was just step one in learning the lesson that God truly had prepared for me.
Of course, physical fitness was important to me, both as a nurse and a coach, with obesity and heart disease on the rise. I wanted to be a positive influence to those around me, in hopes that I could inspire someone, anyone, to make a healthy lifestyle change. I shared everything I knew online and with my clients: tips on planning, mapping out the road to success, foods to eat, workout programs to do, how to take care of our bodies, but I realized that it wasn't enough for me to be truly fulfilled.
Along with feeling incomplete, my business wasn't taking off like I thought it would. I was putting in time and hard work yet still, something was missing. I turned to prayer asking God to give me direction. I was pleading with him, "Lord, show me where to go."-- and finally one day it hit me. Physically, I was improving. Spiritually, not so much. I wasn't completely giving every aspect of my life to God, my business included. I was only seeking God when I needed Him or in times I had planned throughout the day to read His word and to put it simply, it wasn't enough.
Have you ever found yourself putting Christ in a box? Maybe you've labeled that box for “Sunday Morning,” “Wednesday evening,” or maybe even “set devotion time with the girls?” Does this sound like you? Because so many times, this was me. I got so absorbed with completing the tasks in my daily routine, with a time and place for everything. I was forgetting that I simply am not strong enough to do it all alone. I had a schedule for workouts, appointments, vacations, weekly worship. Time to spend with family, time for my business, time for other parts of life. But I thought about what would happen if I took Christ out of that box , that certain set time, and gave Him ALL of my time?! I wasn't exactly sure, but I knew it was worth a try.
Today, I have grown tremendously in my faith and more importantly I realize the value of spiritual fitness. What does scripture say about being physically and spiritually fit?
1 Timothy 4: 8 for while bodily training is of some value, godliness is of value in every way, as it holds promise for the present life and also for the life to come.
I noticed I was so focused on getting ahead, making progress, meeting my worldly, selfish goals..but for REAL, What is more important than our relationship with Christ? What is more important than the GIFT of our SALVATION, our ETERNITY?
I realized that when I started digging into scripture, I became more equipped to face the challenges of the world. He gave me NEW strength-- a type that you'll never find in the gym of from a fitness program alone. He's allowed me to grow and thrive in ways I never have before, filling my heart to the brim with His love and goodness. So today, I challenge you; if you are struggling with something no matter what that may be, I pray that you would fully and willingly give it all to God. Dig into His word to become spiritually FIT. Humble yourself, seek His face, & PRAY!! If we stand strong in the Lord, we will conquer ALL things!! (Phil 4:13) And that is the type of FIT that I truly want to be!
To keep up with the wonderful Taylor, you can do so by following the links below!
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kellytaylor.burch
Blog: https://throughfaithsite.wordpress.com/
Beachbody: Beachbodycoach.com/taylorburch15